A ROUTE for the long-awaited Switch Island to Thornton bypass was finally agreed on Wednesday.

A ROUTE for the long-awaited Switch Island to Thornton bypass was finally agreed on Wednesday.

The proposed route, years in the making, was finalised after a public consultation exercise last year, and approved this week by Sefton’s technical services team.

Residents who want to see the back of heavy congestion have been campaigning for decades for a road linking Switch Island to the A565 Formby Bypass/Southport Road.

It is thought the road would relieve residential streets in Netherton and Thornton, in particular Green Lane and Lydiate Lane, of thousands of cars and lorries each day.

The £9.3m cost would be met by the Government, with Sefton council footing around 10% of the bill.

The proposed route will go to Sefton’s cabinet for a final decision on March 22 and, if accepted, the scheme will gain entry into the Department for Transport’s funding programme of major schemes to be delivered between 2009 and 2016.